The comics of Comic-Con, part 3: Much more than superheroes

With all of the TV and movie news coming out of Comic-Con, it’s easy to miss the flurry of comic book news that started it all. Be sure to read part one, which covered preview night and day one of the convention. Part two covers the various Marvel announcements made over the weekend. The third and final part is a recap of the convention’s (mostly) non-superhero news.

A disclaimer: Comic-Con is more than a hype parade. While a lot of new things are announced at comics conventions, panels aren’t just trailers for upcoming books. Creators answer questions, discussions are held, and fans are engaged. So note that if a publisher doesn’t seem to have much going on in a news roundup like this (for example, DC didn’t announce a single new book), it doesn’t necessarily mean they didn’t have a big presence. Also, many publishers present (like Dynamite Entertainment) chose to announce their upcoming titles before the convention.

For a feel of what SDCC is all about from a comics point of view, read this excellent piece by David Brothers.

On to the news:

TITAN COMICSRiding high after launching a number of new Doctor Who comics at the start of the year, UK-based Titan Comics announced a number of new creator-owned titles at this year’s convention. Scheduled to debut in 2015, the books vary in tone and genre, from sci-fi adventure Thunder Hunter by Mark A. Nelson, to environmental horror book Surface Tension by Jay Gunn.

DRAWN & QUARTERLYDrawn & Quarterly had a number of titles to talk about this year. From a special 25th-anniversary retrospective to new books like Shigeru Mizuki’s Hitler, the publisher’s track record of putting out interesting new alternative comics and collecting lesser-known but still vital work remains consistent.

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKSThe sole new book announced by Fantagraphics Books is a print version of Liz Suburbia’s webcomic Sacred Heart (which you can still read for free in its original format). It’s a story about teens trying to keep their small town together after all the adults disappear. An interesting wrinkle: Comics Beatreports that Suburbia will be entirely redrawing the graphic novel for the print edition.

DARK HORSEWhile Dark Horse announced most of their comics in the 12 days leading up to the convention (like Fight Club 2), the publisher released a master list of all their new titles the day SDCC began. Check it out here.

BOOM! STUDIOSThe folks at Boom! sure like to tease. Just before the convention, the publisher stoked curiosity with a teaser imagethat turned heads: Grant Morrison was starting a project with the publisher. Bleeding Cool’s coverage of SDCC’s Boom! panel reports more of the same going down—a number of acclaimed creators teasing new books at the publisher without saying much about what they’d be. Among the creators doing the teasing were Mark Waid, Paul Jenkins, JG Jones, and Roger Langridge.

IDWFrom G.I. Joe to Samurai Jack, IDW has established itself as a place where licensed characters from movies and TV get a lot of love. As such, some of the new titles announced out of SDCC are downright crazy, with the weirdest team-ups you’ve ever heard of. Angry Birds/Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters, and Star Trek/Planet of the Apes crossovers are all real things that are happening. And they’re also putting out an Orphan Black comic. Check out the full list of announcements here.